Automobile signal



I Jime 10, 1930. H, O LTER 1,762,288

AUTOMOBILE S IGNAL Filed Dec. 1, 1.928

Patent e dJune 10,1930 y 1,762,288

s PATENT HUGLELKALEXANDER. GOULTER, F WINNII'EG, MANITOBA, CANADA i i i AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Application fi eain enberyi, 1925, Serial no. s23,o27, and in Canada Novembel 13,.1928. Q l The invention relates to i nproveinentsin ."In the drawing like characters of reference automobile signals andofthe type Wh1ch-111d1cate corresponding parts in the several v1s1bly lnchcates at therear of the automofigures. i bile Whether the driver 1s going to turn 1n The casing 1 ofthe signal isin the formof 1 one direction or the other orcome to a stop a cylindricalmetallic box, the body thereof 55 and an object of the invention is to provide a being provided at the rear with a Window simply constructed, inexpensive and durable or sight opening 2 and at the under side with device of pleasing design which can bepOSiawindow 3. a One end of the casingis closed tively relied upon to give the desired signals by a cap ltowhich Ihave secured centrally a i andwhich is entirely controlled by the driver lamp socket 5 of the conventionalform which 60 at his seat. projects into the casing as shown to form a y A further object is to construct the signal bearing for the adjacent end oi the drum so that it Will be plainly visible either by day later described. y or night and also such that it normallyserves On the other end ofthe casing, I mount as a tail light and also to-illulninate thecusa collar or band 6 Which carries aninternal 5 ternary license plate. y i i i a cross partition 7 closing the end ofthe casi A further object of the invention is to proing and. the outer end of the collar is closed vide a signal embodying an outer casing havby a ca 8. The collar and the former cap ing suit-able Windows therein and a rotatable can be ii'ictionally applied sufficiently tight drum having the signals thereon and means to holdthem in place or can be otherwise reactuated by suction and Controlled Wi hi leasably fastened. The band contains the convenient range of the drivers seat for actuating parts for the drum later described. rotating the drum selected amounts to expose Between the cap 4 andythe cross partition desired signals and to provide means for IQ- and withinthecasingyI locate a rotarydrumfl leasing the suction subsequent to giving h Which isformed from aflanged disc-like head 5 signal. i j 9 rotatably mounted on the inner endof With the above more lrnportant and other the. lampsocket, a flanged disc-like head 10 minor objects in view which Will become "carrying centrally a stud shaft 11 rotatably more/appa as the d c p P QB inounted in the partition and a cylindrical he inv t essentially i the shell 12 suitably attached to the fiangesfof I Fig. 1 is a rear view of the signal.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal central sectional view rangement and construction of parts here: the heads as by friction rings 13. The shell inafter more particularly desc ibed, refer hasthe-desiredsignalsthereon and thesig- Q e g ba 9 the mp ny g d g, nals are adapted to appear successively n 1I1W1110h1 i through the rear window of the casing when F 2 1 d t 1 {on thedru nisturned.

5 5 5 r V914 1 Cross Ihave found thata ood ualit A a er such e ie tl s i 5 1 .2" g as bristolboard canb: used for shell and i 3 15 an enlargfgd a Q 9 a the paper will all be blackened such as by inky VIEW through the slgnal at lgure ing with the enceptionof the directionsig d I n als sto and I-tail li 'htsi 11 15 the latter h slgnaliiait 3 being colhured While thegormdr are White Fig. 5 is a verticalsectionalvievvthrough so h g lamp illumimiteg h nt the valve employed on the dash, certainparts drumzthe t and i lf slgnais being shown in side elevation. i W 1 31 1 9 whltte. t y t e h 5 .1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view at 6-6 Fi ures llght n s 1 a a and lookingtowards the base f the valve. T r g m n q th gn l a t y n" Fi i i e t d i fthe valve disc. y pearon the sheet is as shown in Flgure 8, the Fig. 8 is a plan'view ofthedrum forming tail light slgnal belng lndlcated l4 andthe signalling sheet shown inreduced scale. others1gnals ELSSllOWIl fiHClCOIlSlStlIlg of the centrally thr ure 3.

words Right, Left and Stop in the order named.

To the stub shaft I secure by a pin 15, a pinion 15 and the pinion meshes continuously with a rack 16 formed at the periphery of a segmental plate 17 which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 18 fastened to the partition. One end of the rack is normally held engaged with a stop pin 19 secured to the partition by the action of a coiled spring 20 fastened to the segmentalplate and to alug 21secured to the partition. When the rack is engaged with the stop, the tail light signal'14 is-visible through the rear window and the other signals "are non-visible. The illuminating lamp '22 :is mounted in they socket in the usual way within the drum and will be used at night to illuminate the various signals and in this connection I might remark that there willlalways be suflicient light passing through the signals of the drum to illuminate the customary'license plate positioned adjoining the under window.

. In order to actuate the drum, I utilizethe suction o'f-the automobile engine and control it by a. valve positioned within convenient range of the drivers seat. 7

A cylinder block 23 is secured permanently .tothe partitionand projects through the collar and is herein shown as bored to provide three cylinders of varying length and indicated bythe reference numerals 24, 25 and '26, the cylinder 24 being the longest and 26 the shortest. Within the cylinders, I mount plungers or pistons 24, 25 and 26and tothepistonsI pivotally connect the ends of three slotted links 27, .28 and 29 having the slots thereof of varying length as shown. I

Alever arm 30 is permanently secured to the rackbar and crosses the links and, is con nected slidably to the several links by, pins 31,32 and 33 entering'the link slots. -The outer ends of the pins are provided with enlarged heads to prevent the links escaping. To'the cylinders, Ilead suction pipes 34, 35

and '36and thesenpass to the stationary base plate ofza controlling valve located within convenient range of. the drivers seat such as on' the dash of the automobile.

' The controlling valve embodies a stationary base plate 37 and a rotating disc 38, the

. base platebeingsuitably fastened to the dash and being I provided with a central opening 39 through whichabolt 40 passes, the one end of the boltbeing screw threaded or otherwise firmly fastened to the disc and the other end i being provided with a head 41. 'Ahole 42 is to T formed in thedash to receive the screw and 'the pipes34g35' and 36 and a coiled spring plate and the head'and normally holdsthe discpressed tight against the base plate but permits of rotation of the disc'in respect to the plate. 7

A pipef43 communicates-with a port 44 in 40 islpla'ce'd on the screw between the base the base plate and this pipe leads to say the intake manifold 45 of an automobile engine. I provide also three other ports 46, 47, and 48 in the base plate, such ports being concentric adaptedin the rotation ofthe'disc to sweep over the base plate and register with one or the other of the ports 46, 47 and 48.

The disc is provided also withv a further series of equally, spaced ports 51 and the arrangement is such that when the offset 50 is in communication with aselected port, say that 46,the other two ports 47 and 48 are open to atmosphere through-certain of the holes 51 registering therewith. The disc is provided opposite the offset 50 with a pointer 52 and with amanipulating handle 53 andthe base plate is providedwith graduation marks radially opposite the ports 46,

44,47 and 48 and the graduation marks have the letters L, N, R and S associated therewith, such letters indicating left,neutral, right and stop respectively'and the arrangement is such that when the pointeris opposite any one of the graduationmarks,

the signal corresponding to that graduation indication will be indicated.

Normally the signal remains with the tail light signal appearing through the rear window and at'such time, the handle is set so that the pointer is opposite the letter N on the base plate and the suction pipe 43 is not connected to any port leading to the cylinder block of the signal.- If the driver desires to turn to the right, he will'turn the handle to bring the pointer opposite the letter R on'the base plate at which time the suction pipe 43 is connected through the port 44, slot 49 ,offset 50 and port 47 with the pipe 36 leading to the cylinder 26. There is accordingly an instantaneous indrawing of the piston 26 for the full length of the cylinder 26 which effects through the link the pulling of the lever arm 30 a distance designed to rotate through the 'intermeshed rack and pinion, the drum a suflicient portion ofa revolution tobringthe signal Right centered within the rear window. Similarly the setting of'the indicating pointer with the letters L or S-on the base plate, will actuate thepistons 25 and 24 respectively to cause the rotation of the drum a proper amount to centre the signals Left or Stop in therear window.

In this connection I wish itto benoticed that the distance whichthe lever arm is swung is controlled by the length of the respective cylinders,the piston travelling ineach case thefull length of its containing cylinder acting under the suction of the engine cylinder.

Further it will be noted that when any link is being actuated, the remaining links have no end movement but simply swingon their pivotal connection to the piston to accommodate the movement of the lever as actuated by the working link. It will be observed that the collar 6 is formed with an oiiset 54: and this tuated by the suction of the engine, I wish it to be understood that it could also be operthere below and in the order named.

ated by air or other fluid under pressure at which time, the structure would have to be slightly modified by having the spring 20, pulling the rack in the reverse direction to hold the pistons at their innermost ends of the cylinders and varying the slots of the links accordingly and reversing the position of the signals on the signalling drum. That is to say, the words Right, Left and Stop instead of appearing above the tail light signal 14 as in Figure 4, would appgir viously by adding further actuating pistons, links and connections, it would be possible to place other signalling material on the drum and while I have indicated the signals by words, it will be readily understood that they might be otherwise indicated as custom might demand. a

What I claim as my invention is 1. In an automobile signalling device, a

stationary casing having a rear window therein, a cylindrical drum rotatably mounted within the casing and having a plurality of signalling symbols thereon selectively visible in the rotation of the drum through the window, a plurality of air cylinders and pistons operating therein, an operating connection between each piston and the drum designed to effect a rotary movement of the drum normally in a non-signalling position, a plurality of pistons operatively mounted within the cylinders, a lever arm secured to the rack bar, pins carried by the lever arm, pulling links pivotally secured to the pistons and longitudinally slotted to slidably receive the several pins aforesaid and valve controlled means for selectively exhausting the air from any cylinder to eilect the movement of the piston therein and the consequent rotation of the drum, the length of the cylinder control ling the movement of the piston and the length of stroke of the piston being adapted to rotate the drum a predetermined distance to bring a selected signalling symbol into view through the window.

3. In an automobile signalling device, a stationary casing having a rear window therein, a cylindrical drum rotatably mounted within the casing and having a plurality of signalling symbols thereon selectively visible in the rotation of the drum through the win-l dow, a plurality of air cylinders and pistons operating therein, an operating connection between each piston and the drum designed to effect a rotary movement of the drum upon any piston being actuated, means limiting the length oi stroke of the pistons, each piston having a different length of stroke and gauged such that the symbols will be separately exposed through the rear window by selectively actuating the pistons, valve controlled means for selectively exhausting the air from any cylinder and a tension spring forreturning the drum to its original position.

Signed at Winnipeg, this 18th day of September, 1928.

HUGH ALEXANDER COULTER.

drum upon any piston being actuated, means limiting the length of stroke of the pistons, each piston having aditlerent length of stroke and gauged such that the symbols will be separately exposed through the rear window by selectively actuating the pistons and valve controlled means for selectively exhausting the air from any cylinder.

2. In an automobile signalling device, a stationary casing having a rear window therein, a cylindrical drum rotatably mounted within the casing and having a plurality of signalling symbols thereon selectively visible in the rotation of the drum through the window, a plurality of air cylinders of vary ing length carried by one end of the casing and located adjoining one end of the drum, a pinion secured to the drum, a pivoted segmental rack barmeshed with the pinion, a spring attached to the casing and the rack bar, a stop pin engaging the rack bar and co-operating with the spring to retain the 

